Portable refrigerator with removable unit



April 17, 1 51 u. s. CARRINGTON PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR WITH REMOVABLE UNIT 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1949 April 17, 1951 u. s. CARRINGTON 2,549,421

PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR WITH REMOVABLE UNIT Filed Jan. 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ULRICH 5. cape/Nero,

INVEN TOR.

W/RM Patented Apr. 17, 1951 PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR WITH REMOVABLE UNIT Ulrich S. Carrington, Burbank, Calif.

Application January 3, 1949, Serial No. 68,801

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical refrigerators, and more particularly to a small unitary type of portable refrigerating system in which the complete cooling unit is self contained and may be easily removed from the cooling compartment or box for the substitution of a new unit or for repairs. The unit may also be temporarily placed in other compartments without attachment to provide cooling temperatures or for mak ing ice.

Mechanical refrigerators of various types are well-known, the present invention having several features not found in the units of present-day constructions. As mentioned above, all portions of the mechanical unit, including the evaporator coils, are mounted on a common base, the base serving as one enclosing surface, such as the ceiling, of the cooling compartment of the portable boX. The cooling unit may be either lifted from the top of the compartment after a cover has been removed, or, if desired, may be slid horizontally to remove it from the cooling compartment or box, as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,868,359 of July 19, 1932, this patent showing a cooling unit for use in the ice compartment of an ice refrigerator. It is provided with a refrigerant tank which may contain a filter, this tank having the refrigerant sealed therein, under pressure, until such time as the unit is to be put into use. The condenser coil, motor, and compressor may be of several forms, the drive being either through a worm gear or driven directly through a crank arm. A dehydrator unit may be incorporated for keeping the refrigerant dry and more efiicien't,

' the entire unit operating for long periods without attention. The motor may be either of the alternating current type operable from the regular house current, or may be of the direct current type, operable from a six-volt storage battery. The motor may also be of the universal type operable from either source of energy, j.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the cooling of a small space and provide a liquid freezing unit within said space.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerating mechanism which is easily mountable and demountable from a portable cooling or refrigerating compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved midget refrigerator which is easily portable and which is substantially free 'of mechanical troubles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigeratingunit in which the refrigerant is maintained in a sealed container, under pressure, until the unit is to function as a refrigerator.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the mechanical refrigerating mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front, elevational View, partly in cross-section, of the portable refrigerating cham-' ber.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one form of compressor drive.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of a second modification of the compressor drive, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the refrigerant tank and filter combination of the refrigerating unit.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same numerals identify like elements, a rectangularly shaped refrigerating chamber or box is formed of' spaced walls 5 and 6, of light-weight metal or other suitable material, between which is positioned a heat insulating material I. The unit has side walls and a back wall, the front portion being a door, not shown. The bottom of the compartment is formed in the same manner as the three side walls, while the top of the unit has similar walls I0 and I l between which is p0- sitioned an insulating material l2.

On top of the upper wall II, is fastened a motor and compressor mounting plate l5, which isattached to the plate H by bolts, such as shown at 16 and I1, the bolts being provided with suitable shock absorbers to reduce vibration. On top of the plate I 5, is mounted a motor I la, having an armature l8, driving a worm gear 18. 'An air circulating fan is shown at 20. The worm gear I9 is in mesh with a pinion 2!, which drives unit, the tank having inlet and outlet valves, 33.

and 34 (see Fig. 5), the valves being connected through rods 36 and 31 to hand wheels 39 and 40. Other suitable means may be provided for re-" motely operating the valves 33 and 34 or the valves may be operated at the tank 32. The refrigerant is contained, under pressure, in the tank 32 until such time as the unit is to function, and, at that time, the valves 33 and 3:; permit the refrigerant to pass into and circulate through the system. The tank then serves as a sump and filter for the refrigerant during operation. In the event new refrigerant is to be added, this may be accomplished simply by purchasing a separate refrigerant tank and substituting it for the old one.

Referring to the remainder of the unit, after the refrigerant is compressed in the compressor, it passes through pipe line 4| to adehydrator unit 42, then to a condenser coil, and then to the tank 32, from which it passes through pipe line 45 to an expansion valve 46, and then to an evaporator coil 41, which is in a rectangular shape, after which it passes over pipe 43 to the compressor unit. The energy for the motor i1 is supplied over the cable 50, connected to the appropriate power source at terminals 5 l.

The entire unit just described may be attached either by the use of screws, such as shown at 54 and 55, or by any other suitable means, which are easily accessible. It will be noted that the condenser coil 44 is positioned in an open ng on the back panel 51, in which are also ventilating apertures 58 and 59, this panel being attached to plate H and forming a portion ofthe enclosure for the mechanism. Cooling air is thus circulated through the condenser coil 44 and over the other mechanism. A-coverlil is dropped over the unit and attached by'screws, such as shown at 62, or the cover may be permanently attached :to the compartment and :the mechanism simply slid horizontally and removed from the'rear. A handle 63 on the cover may be used forcarrying the box, or handles may be provided at the side of the box. Fastening of the unit is then accomplished by rods passing through holes, such as shown at 64, in the flanges of the up er wall 65.

Thus, with this construction, the entire unit, as shown in Fig. 1, may be removed and anew unit substituted therefor, or the unit may beremoved for a short period for repair. By the above construction, it is also possible to take the unit shown in Fig. 1 and set it'on topof any container for-the-purpose of cooling the interior thereof temporarily or for making ice within theevaporator coil 41. The unit is small, compact, and particularly efiicient in operation to provide the necessary cooling within a small space, the entire weight of the whole unit being in the neighborhood of twenty pounds to-provide a portable unit. By the use of a separate mounting 'plate [5 for the motor and compressor, the plate being vibration-proof from wall plate I Len-exceptionally quiet mechanical unit is provided and one which may operate in an office without undue dist rbance.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a drive which permits a reduction in weight of the entire unit is shown,

thisdrive constituting simply a motor 58 directly coupled through a coupling fi'l-and shaft-63 to-a crankarm or wheel 69. Thearm-59 drives the crank 21 through apin drive .28 in the-same manner as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that, in both. the compressor units shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a special seal is shown at l I, this seal consisting of a pairof rings 12 in planes at an angle of substantially fifteen degrees to a plane perpendicular to the axes of the shafts 23 and 68. By this type of wiping seal,

4 a particularly air-tight bearing is provided, and one which will have a long operating life without attention or repair.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator, comprising a refrigerating compartment having walls, a floor, and a door, a refrigerating mechanism having a base forming the top closure of said refrigerating compartment, a mounting plate on which is mounted a compressor, a motor for said compressor, and a replaceable refrigerant tank, and under which is mounted an evaporator coil, a condenser coil, fixed iasteningmeans for attaching said plate to said'ba-se, a panel integral with and extending upwardly from said base, said panel having an opening therein in which said condenser coil is positioned for.- cooling the refrigerant in said mechanism, and a cover for enclosing said mechanism, said panel forming one enclosing side for said mechanism.

2. A refrigerator, comprising -arefrigerating compartment having walls, a floor,--and a door, a refrigerating mechanism having a base forming the top closure of said refrigerating compartment, a mounting plate on which is mounted.- a compressor, a motor for said compressor, and-a refrigerant tank, and under which ismounted an evaporator coil, a condenser coil, fixed fastening means for attaching said plate to said base, a panel integral with and extendingupwardly from said base, said panel having an-opening therein inwhich said condenser coil is positioned for cooling the refrigerant :in said mechanism, anda cover for enclosing,saiclmechanism, said refrigerant tank beingprovided with intake and outlet valves and with =means extending through said panel for operating said valves from the exterior of said cover.

,3. A refrigerator, comprisinga refrigerating compartment having a floor,.walls, a door, anda ceiling for saidv compartment attachable toand from the ends of said walls,-and a refrigerating mechanism having a pair of refrigerant conducting pipes passing through said ceiling, anevaporator coil suspended from said pipes under said ceiling, a compressor, a condenser, motor, and refrigerant tank mounted on top of said ceiling, said ceiling being provided with an upwardly extending panel integral therewith and having an opening therein in which said condenser is positioned, and a cover for said refrigerating unit mounted on said ceiling, said ceiling, panel, and mechanism being remoyable, from. said, compartment, as a unit.

4. A refrigerator, in accordance with claim 3, in whichsaidfioor, walls, door .and ceilingare of. light-weight metal and insulation.

5. A portable refrigerator, comprising annitary cooling mechanism including a compressor, a motor for said compressor, a replaceable refrigerant and sump tank, a condenser coil, and an evaporator, an insulated base plate, means for mounting said motor, compressor, andrefrigerant and sump tankontopof said .base, .an upwardly extending panel on said base havinga-n opening therein in which said condenser-coil. is mounted, means. for mounting. said vevaporator under said base plate, andan insulated compartment, said base plate being mounted thereon and detachable therefrom as a unit.

6. A portable refrigerator, comprising a unitary cooling mechanism including a compressor,

7 a motor for said compressor, a refrigerant and sump tank, a condenser coil, and an evaporator,

' said valves.

5 motor, compressor, and refrigerant and sump tank on top of said base, an upwardly extending panel on said base having an opening therein in which said condenser coil is mounted, means for mounting said evaporator under said base plate, 7

and an insulated compartment, said base plate being mounted thereon and detachable therefrom as a unit, valves being provided for said refrigerant and sump tank, together with means passing through said panel for externally controlling '7. A portable refrigerator in accordance with claim 5, in which a cover housing is provided for said motor, compressor, and refrigerant and sump tank, said panel forming one enclosing side therefor. I

ULRICH S. CARRINGTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number 1 Name Date 1,878,694 Gay Sept. 20, 1932 2,203,439 Oliver June 4, 1940 2,247,904 Brace July 1, 1941 7 2,254,837 Burns Sept. 2, 1941 

